The Pioneer Diamondbacks will face off against the Edcouch-Elsa Yellowjackets at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Pioneer managed to slip by Mission Veterans Memorial the last time these teams faced off, but didn't have those same answers this time around. The Diamondbacks came up short against the Patriots on Friday, falling 27-6. The game marked the Diamondbacks' lowest-scoring matchup so far this season.
William Goodloe put forth a good effort for the losing side as he rushed for 86 yards and one TD on only nine carries. His longest rush was for an impressive 69 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total.
Even if they lost, Pioneer's defense still kept up the pressure with three sacks. Damian Hernandez was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up two himself.
Meanwhile, Edcouch-Elsa entered their tilt with Lopez on Friday with three consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with four. They took their contest with ease, bagging a 48-17 win over the Lobos. Considering the Yellowjackets have won four games by more than 19 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Pioneer better keep an eye on Ayden Mercado. He was instrumental in Edcouch-Elsa's win, rushing for 154 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 9.6 yards per carry. Mercado is becoming a predictor of the Yellowjackets' success: when he posts at least 80 rushing yards the team is 4-1 (and 2-3 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Jason Pena, who rushed for 112 yards on only five carries.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Edcouch-Elsa was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 381 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since the start of last season.
Edcouch-Elsa didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Andrae Martinez and Brandon Ibarra. Ibarra is on a roll when it comes to interceptions, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games he's played. Edcouch-Elsa got some further help from Pedro Trevino Jr.: he picked up a sack and made 13 total tackles (3.0 for loss).
This is the second loss in a row for Pioneer and nudges their season record down to 6-4. As for Edcouch-Elsa, their record now sits at an identical 6-4.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Pioneer has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 224 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Edcouch-Elsa struggles in that department as they've been averaging 171.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Pioneer strolled past Edcouch-Elsa in their previous matchup back in November of 2023 by a score of 48-29. Will the Diamondbacks repeat their success, or do the Yellowjackets have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
